One of the most profound and disturbing themes in Shakespeare’s Macbeth involves the changing in morality. Macbeth had changed his whole outlook on life throughout the course of the book, ranging from being reluctant to kill a noble friend to doing anything to it takes to maintain his position as king.
Macbeth is one of many famous tragic plays that Shakespeare had created. In comparing Macbeth to the others plays, the story is shorter and shows a lot of darkness in the world. Everything from death, dishonest inclination, deceit, sins, treachery and greed can be found in the book Macbeth. The world has changed dramatically between the year the play was written and current everyday life, the themes in this play, such as greed and treachery have never been honest traits. The play is immoral, and shows almost every evil quality that human beings can have. “Morality is defined as the conformity to established sanctioned codes or accepted notions between right and wrong” (Jamieson, n.d. pg.1).The real answer is one point of view do you take from all of this. “Shakespeare wanted his audience to focus on the main character Macbeth, and from that point of view justice was served” (Scott, 1992, pg. 4).
Macbeth’s wife, Lady Macbeth, had talked Macbeth into kill in order to obtain the title of King. The two of them became caught in the act of greed. At the end of the book, MacBeth was killed by Macduff. “Death becomes the ultimate punishment for the ultimate sin, killing” (Rae, 2000, pg.87).
The King of Irleand tried to conquer Scotland, so MacBeth killed him. Then current king Duncan named Macbeth the thane of Cawdor. During this time in the play, Shakespeare points out Macbeth’s loyalty to his king and to his country. During a figh...
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... play were paid for at the end by the people who committed those sins.
References
Jamieson, L. (n.d.). Macbeth Ambition - An Analysis of Macbeth's Ambition. Retrieved from http://shakespeare.about.com/od/macbeth/a/Macbeth_Ambition.htm
Rae, S. B. (2000). Moral choices: An introduction to ethics. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan Pub. House.
Scott, M. W. (1992). Shakespeare for students: Critical interpretations of As you like it, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, Macbeth, The merchant of Venice, A midsummer night's dream, Othello, and Romeo and Juliet. Detroit: Gale Research.
Shakespeare, W., & Braunmuller, A. R. (1997). Macbeth. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Wiki - Moral Lesson of Main Characters as Reflected in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth ( keyword : the temptations ). (n.d.). Retrieved November 8, 2013, from http://news.egypt.com/arabic/permalink/157093.html
Perhaps the most fundamental theme of Shakespeare’s Macbeth is the inherent corruptibility of even a seemingly good man when ambition turns to greed, and Macbeth himself exemplifies this concept throughout the play. While at the outset he is seen to be loyal to his king, generally considered trustworthy, and displaying numerous other laudable qualities, Macbeth ultimately succumbs to the influence of those around him and becomes unequivocally evil, setting aside all his previously held morals and coming to be driven only by his lust for power. This transition is brought about by a wide variety of factors and plays an integral role in the development of the plot. In his tragedy Macbeth, William Shakespeare employs
“The Tragedy of Macbeth” goes into the darkest and deepest morals of any Shakespearean play. Each character in the play portrays a very important role and each character gives off their own form of sincerities towards the advancing plot. Macbeth
Shakespeare clearly explores the themes ‘Fate and Free Will’, and ‘Ambition’ within this tragedy. Shakespeare weaves these themes around the character of Macbeth, showing us the depth of his insight into human society. Macbeth fell victim to his interpretation of supernatural prophecies and the influence from his wife. His impatience for the throne led to his crimes, subsequent guilt and acknowledgement of his sins. Shakespeare presents Macbeth’s life to his audience as a moral tale, warning them how men should be careful how they regard the ideas of fortune and fate and how in the end, evil intents and actions bring with them their own punishment.
The allusion to many mythological stories in Macbeth puts a different light on the morality parts of the play. The prophesies in the theme are important to the tragedy of the play, and in the light of it all, Macbeth is a victim, not the victimizer. Because of the witches, Macbeth is seemed to commit the sins that he is accused of. Surly, Macbeth is not the only villain in the
In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the author tries to show the true nature of man by using the play’s main character, Macbeth, as an example. He is overly ambitious, courageous, and self-doubting. Throughout the play, Shakespeare displays these characteristics to the audience through Macbeth to show the true nature of man. At the end of the play, these characteristics ultimately lead to Macbeth’s downfall.
The main theme of Macbeth-the destruction wrought when ambition goes unchecked by moral constraints-finds its most powerful expression in the play's two main characters. Macbeth is a courageous Scottish general who is not naturally inclined to commit evil deeds, yet he deeply desires power and advancement. He kills Duncan against his better judgment and afterward stews in guilt and paranoia. Toward the end of the play he descends into a kind of frantic, boastful madness. Lady Macbeth, on the other hand, pursues her goals with greater determination, yet she is less capable of withstanding the repercussions of her immoral acts. One of Shakespeare's most forcefully drawn female characters, she spurs her husband mercilessly to kill Duncan and urges him to be strong in the murder's aftermath, but she is eventually driven to distraction by the effect of Macbeth's repeated bloodshed on her conscience. In each case, ambition helped, of course, by the malign prophecies of the witches is what drives the couple to ever more terrible atrocities. The problem, the play suggests, is that once one decides to use violence to further one?s quest for power, it is difficult to stop. There are always potential threats to the throne?Banquo, Fleance, Macduff?and it is always tempting to use violent means to dispose of them.
Scott, Mark W. Shakespeare for Students: Critical Interpretations of As You like It, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, Macbeth, the Merchant of Venice, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Othello, and Romeo and Juliet. Gale Research, 1992. March 12 2018.
Throughout The Tragedy of Macbeth, we see Macbeth change from a noble and brave soldier into a mere shadow of his former self. We meet Macbeth after a battle, the result of which has him named Thane of Cawdor. From this position, he falls to a paranoid man willing to do anything to remain in power. We can see his deterioration from the murders of Duncan and Banquo, Macbeth's second meeting with the witches, his treatment of Macduff's castle and his mental condition just before he is murdered.
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth tells the story of a general who commits a regicide in order to become king. Early in the play, Macbeth is conflicted as to whether or not he wants to kill his kinsman, the king. In the first two acts Macbeth is not portrayed as a ruthless killer; he is a sympathetic character who succumbs to the provocation of his wife and a prophecy foretold by three mysterious witches. In contrast, Lady Macbeth is a manipulative, immoral woman.
When looking back on the recent decades or even last week, it is not difficult to find a Macbeth-like figure in mainstream American culture. In this it is meant that these individuals experience a downfall in an attempt to gain power. One such figure was former President Richard Nixon.
In the story of Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is one of the main characters. At the beginning of the play Macbeth is very loyal and honorable. By the end of the play Macbeth is insane and has no remorse for the sin he commits against the king.
Macbeth is now hardened to killing. He orders the murder of the wife and children of his enemy Macduff, who had fled to England after Duncan's murder (Act 2. Scene 1). Macduff then gathers an army to overthrow Macbeth. By this time, Lady Macbeth, burdened with guilt over the murders, has become a sleepwalker. She finally dies a few scenes before the play concludes. In the end, Macduff kills Macbeth in battle. Duncan's son Malcolm is then proclaimed king of Scotland.
Shakespeare's play "Macbeth" is considered one of his great tragedies. The play fully uses plot, character, setting, atmosphere, diction and imagery to create a compelling drama. The general setting of Macbeth is tenth and eleventh century Scotland. The play is about a once loyal and trusted noble of Scotland who, after a meeting with three witches, becomes ambitious and plans the murder of the king. After doing so and claiming the throne, he faces the other nobles of Scotland who try to stop him. In the play, Macbeth faces an internal conflict with his opposing decisions. On one hand, he has to decide of he is to assassinate the king in order to claim his throne. This would result in his death for treason if he is caught, and he would also have to kill his friend. On the other hand, if he is to not kill him, he may never realize his ambitious dreams of ruling Scotland. Another of his internal struggles is his decision of killing his friend Banquo. After hiring murderers to kill him, Macbeth begins to see Banquo's ghost which drives him crazy, possibly a result of his guilty conscience. Macbeth's external conflict is with Macduff and his forces trying to avenge the king and end Macbeth's reign over Scotland. One specific motif is considered the major theme, which represents the overall atmosphere throughout the play. This motif is "fair is foul and foul is fair."
The character Macbeth in the story of Shakespeare’s Macbeth faces decisions that affect his morals. He begins as an innocent soul, dedicated to serve his kingdom and its king, Duncan. As time passes and opportunities present themselves combined with the deception of the evil witches, Macbeth begins his descent into madness. Macbeth’s innocence and loyalty are completely corrupted due to his over confidence, guilty conscience, and the inevitability of human nature. Macbeth looses sight of what is morally right to do in life because his logical choices are changed by these factors.
Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” explores a fundamental struggle of the human conscience. The reader is transported into the journey of a man who recognizes and acknowledges evil but still succumbs to its destructive powers. The character of Macbeth is shrouded in ambiguity that scholars have claimed as both being a tyrant and tragic hero. Macbeth’s inner turmoil and anxieties that burden him throughout the entire play evoke sympathy and pity in the reader. Though he has the characteristics of an irredeemable tyrant, Macbeth realizes his mistakes and knows there is no redemption for his sins. And that is indeed tragic.